Device for cleaning color stirrer and color chests of printing machines

ABSTRACT

The color stirrer unit and also the color chest unit of a printing machine are tiltably linked for positioning either in operative relationship or in positions for easy cleaning of the stirrer, or of the chest, or of the color ductor which normally dips into the chest, or of all of these devices. For these purposes the respective linkages are interconnected to allow free access to each unit and also to facilitate re-establishment of the operative relationship between these units.

Unite States Patent [1 1 [111 3,750,570

Johne et al. A. 7, 1973 [54] DEVICE FOR CLEANING COLOR STIRRER 2,529,809 11/1950 Mellen 74/469 X L R HESTS 0F PRINTING C FQREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 819,276 9/1959 Great Britain 101/364 [75] Inventors: Hans Johne, Radcbeul; Eberhard F 't l, b th of 2 :12:23, rel a 0 Primary Examiner-J. Reed Fisher AttorneyNolte & Nolte [73] Assignee: Veb Polygraph Leipzig Kombinat fur Polygraphische Maschinen und Ausrustungen, [57] ABSTRACT Lelpzlg Germany The color stirrer unit and also the color chest unit of a [22] Filed. Apt 2 1971 printing machine are tiltably linked for positioning either in operative relationship or in positions for easy PP 130,751 cleaning of the stirrer, or of the chest, or of the color cluctor which normally dips into the chest, or of all of [52] U S Cl 101/364 these devices. For these purposes the respective link- [51] In} .0 "B4" 31/06 g are interconnected to allow free access to each 58] 5' 351 363 unit and also to facilitatere-establishment of the opera- 210 & 1 tive relationship between these units.

[ 5 6] References Cited 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUS 7 ms 3. 7 50,57 0

sum 1 or z INVENTORS HANS JOHNE EBERHARD GRAUPNER ATTORNEYS PATENTEB ms 1191s SHEH 2 BF 2 INVENTORS HANS JOHNE EBERHARD GRAUPNER ATTORNEYS DEVICE FOR CLEANING COLOR STIRRER AND COLOR CHESTS OF PRINTING MACHINES BACKGROUND AND NATURE OF THE INVENTION Prior attempts have been made to provide access to color stirrers or to color chests or ductors, or to each and all of these units, for the purpose of removing either dry or liquid color, at the end of a period of operation. However in many earlier constructions the stirrer could be tilted only together with the chest. It then was necessary to install it, whereby both cleaning operations and return to normal printing operations became complex. In other earlier constructions either the stirrer or the chest or both could be tilted only to a small extent, thereby making it difficult to apply adequate cleaning to ductor units and other units.

The invention overcomes these former limitations and difficulties by new linkage for the color stirrer and the color chest. The new linkage allows the user to remove the stirrer from the chest and ductor for free access to the stirrer while nevertheless making-it unnecessary to remove the stirrer from its motor unit. The new linkage also allows removal of the chest, to make cleaning much more convenient that it previously was, while at the same time facilitating re-establishment of the operative condition. Although a variety of relative positions between the ductor, the chest and the stirrer are provided by the new construction, the operations required for cleaning the units and for returning them to normal condition are extremely simple, by use of interconnecting linkage as will now be described.

DRAWINGS FIG. I is an end view, partly in section, of apparatus incorporating the invention.

FIG. 1a is a schematic end view of this apparatus, showing two of the operative positions of the stirrer unit.

FIG. 2 is a view generally similar to that of FIG. 1a, but showing two different positions of the chest, together with corresponding positions of the stirrer unit.

FIG. 3 is another view generally similar to FIG. la but showing still other positions of the chest and stirrer unit, established by the use of a different sequence of operations than is used in FIG. 2.

Referring first to FIG. 1: A color stirrer unit 1 which extends (at right angles to the plane of the drawing) approximately over the entire width of color chest 2 carries stirrer spindle 3 which can rotate about its shaft 3A while reciprocating over the width of chest 2, to agitate color C in the chest. Stirer 3 can have yieldable connection 38 with drive unit 1; however it is not always desired to remove the stirrer from this unit, and the invention allows adequate cleaning of the stirrer while it remains connected with drive unit I, at 3B.

This is achieved by the linkage shown in FIG. 1a which comprises, at a suitable point of end wall 4 of the machine, a pivot 5 for lever 6, the free end 7 of this lever being pivoted to link 8, which in turn is pivoted to an end of drive unit 1, at point 9. It will be understood that linkage of this kind is provided at each end of drive unit I, and that in a broad sense both levers and connecting means, 6 and 8, may be designated as links. A further lever or link 10 connects drive unit 1 with a pivot 11 on chest 2 for interconnecting purposes to be explained hereinafter.

For the purpose of merely lifting the stirrer from its normal position in the chest for inspection or limited cleaning operations, manual or mechanical force can be applied to drive unit 1 or to lever 10 (which can then be considered as a drive lever) to move the drive unit and its linkage from the position shown at A to a raised position appearing in the drawing at the right side and designated by letter B (in which motion the first mentioned link 6 may be considered as a driven link). The stirrer is then accessible for inspection and also for cleaning, for which purpose it can be rotated about its axis and the color removed from it can then fall into color chest 2. In this position it is also possible for example to remove color from the chest or to refill it with color material. Evidently the stirrer unit can then be returned to its former and normal position and exact relationship relative to chest 2 and ductor 12, under the guidance of linkage 6, 8.

More complete cleaning operations are allowed in the ways illustrated by FIGS. 2 and 3. In these cases, the color chest is removed from the ductor, incident to which the stirrer is removed from its normal position adjacent to both of them, again without separation of stirrer and drive, and again with simple and substantially automatic return to normal operative relationship. These operations can be performed regardless of whether the user begins with the stirrer in its normal position, FIG. I, or begins with the stirrer in its raised position, shown in FIG. 1A at B.

FIG. 2 shows the end points of the operation when beginning in the position of FIG. 1. The parts occupying this position are shown in full lines in FIG. 2. It will now be noted that chest 2 is held on a link or lever 13 pivoted to wall 4 at pivot point 14 and that this link and chest can be swung into the left hand position shown in broken lines. This operation also causes action of link 10, which as mentioned is pivoted to journal 11 on chest 2, while the free end of the link is connected to drive unit 1. Accordingly, as lever 13 and chest 2 move toward left, link 10 and drive unit 1 also move. Since the latter unit is controlled in its motion by linkage 8 and 6, the stirrer and its drive are lifted from its normal position relative to the chest, and all three basic units, stirrer, chest and ductor then are readily accessible for cleaning.

When chest 2 is moved away from the ductor after previous lifting of the stirrer into position B, FIG. 3, it becomes desirable to add a further mechanism l5, 16 attached to chest 2 and link 10. As indicated by the drawing, part 15, incident to its motion toward left, engages part 16 and thereby engages link 10 and the stirrer drive. The result is that stirrer drive unit I automati cally reaches the broken line position thereof, in position B. Again, it will be seen that automatic return motions can be performed in a simple way, returning the stirrer to position B and also returning the chest to its normal, original position.

In order to avoid any dangers for the operating personnel, by access to a rapidly rotating stirrer, the construction of course can include suitable limit switch means (not shown) to make sure that on the inception of a link motion leading to exposure of the stirrer, drive unit 1 is de-energized.

What is claimed is:

l. A printing machine comprising a frame, a color chest, a stirrer and drive means drivingly connected to said stirrer, said stirrer being disposed in the chest to stir ink therein, said elements being interconnected by a linkage comprising a first link pivoted to said chest and to said drive means, a second link pivoted to said frame and to a third link, said third link being pivoted to said drive means, means for pivotally mounting said chest for movement between a first, operative position, and a second, maintenance position whereby the stirrer is also moved from its normal operative position in the printing machine.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for pivotally removing the color chest from its normal position in the printing machine comprises a link pivotally connected to the printing machine at a point below the color chest and having its free end fixedly connected to the color chest.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 which further comprises a member on the color chest in engageable alignment with a member on said first link when the color stirrer has been pivoted with respect to the color chest to an exposed position above its operable position whereby when the color chest is removed from its normal position in the printing machine the member on the color chest engages the member on said first link and removes the color stirrer from its exposed position to another further exposed position.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said first link normally extends approximately parallel to the color stirrer axis. 

1. A printing machine comprising a frame, a color chest, a stirrer and drive means drivingly connected to said stirrer, said stirrer being disposed in the chest to stir ink therein, said elements being interconnected by a linkage comprising a first link pivoted to said chest and to said drive means, a second link pivoted to said frame and to a third link, said third link being pivoted to said drive means, means for pivotally mounting said chest for movement between a first, operative position, and a second, maintenance position whereby the stirrer is also moved from its normal operative position in the printing machine.
 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for pivotally removing the color chest from its normal position in the printing machine comprises a link pivotally connected to the printing machine at a point below the color chest and having its free end fixedly connected to the color chest.
 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 which further comprises a member on the color chest in engageable alignment with a member on said first link when the color stirrer has been pivoted with respect to the color chest to an exposed position above its operable position whereby when the color chest is removed from its normal position in the printing machine the member on the color chest engages the member on said first link and removes the color stirrer from its exposed position to another further exposed position.
 4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said first link normally extends approximately parallel to the color stirrer axis. 